In addition to a growing list of projects I want to tackle now that it’s spring and my workbench is back in the garage, I have some chores to do. I’m building a door for my best friend’s chicken coop and will be installing some lattice around the base of his deck.

Half-laps in pressure treated 2x4s

Building the door feels more like carpentry than woodworking, even though the focus is on the half-lap joinery. Of the many ways I could cut the joint, I chose to make relief cuts with the circular saw every 3/8″ or so, chisel out the waste and refine as needed. Since I’m using polyurethane glue and screws, the cheeks don’t need to be glass smooth like they should if I were using PVA glue. I may remove the screws and replace them with dowels at some point.

A very shallow rabbet

I’m also building a sidecar crib for my expectant niece, based on something she found on Instructables. My design is a bit different. I wanted stronger joinery, so I’ll be doing simple rabbet joints all around using a 3/4″ straight bit in router. This one shallow pass with the router is a huge improvement over simple butt joinery. In the end, it will save me a lot of trouble with assembly and help greatly reduce racking. It’s going to get handled a lot before it gets used for its intended purpose. When I’m done, it’ll get taken to be painted by someone else and then delivered to its home.

Adding some gentle curves

I had visions of splayed dovetails when thinking about this crib, but I was restrained immediately. Although it’s not meant to be an heirloom piece, it’s built to last anyway. I will be proud of it in all its simplicity and honored that she trusts me with the safety of her newborn. And I did make a winning argument for adding some decorative curves.